Time Is But A Loop
by RazieliumGuardian
Summary: This is a fan story crossing Soul Reaver with Sonic. Raziel escapes the reaver, Sonic finds an unexpected ally, and all hell breaks loose when Eggman finds something sleeping below the surface of planet Moebius.
1. From Dark to Light

**Time Is But A Loop**

_**By: Devon Baxter**_

**Disclaimer: This story is based upon the Sonic stories, games, and comics as well as the Soul Reaver series which belong to the Legacy of Kain franchise. A few scenes written down were used directly from these disclaimed (lack of better term) things, and are copyright protected by SEGA, Crystal D, and Eidos. Besides, I wouldn't like to do anything to break any laws. This is just a good, fun, harmless Fanfic. _(This story is narrated in 1st person by the character each chapter focuses on. Example: If it were dark, Raziel would narrate it. If it's less gothic, that'd be Sonic telling the story)_.**

**Chapter 1**

Silence... trapped within the empty vastness of my prison, my corporal shell, the Soul Reaver. I, am Raziel. Profaned, destroyed, reborn, and imprisoned for an eternity. Deep within my thoughts, I still remember what I had said to Kain.

_"...I -- am not your enemy -- not your destroyer -- I am, as before, your right hand. Your sword."_

The time I spent in the darkness seemed eternal. Though my prison is surrounded by deep blackness, a small glimmer of light resided nearby. That glimmer, however, was my own soul. Glowing bright enough to show me where I am in this empty nothingness. Though were I am in my prison, is a true secret that's never to be set free.

To the best of my knowledge, years passed away, and my hope of leaving this accursed prison does the same. And then, that's when I saw it. A small, radiant light that seemed to be at the other end of my prison.

"Other end?" said I, "I thought it stretched to the infinite. Either way, I can see that reaching my goal will take some time."

As I approached, the small glimmer began to get larger. I could sense life and vitality beyond the light. How I longed to walk among the living, enjoying everyday on to which I never did in the last millenniums, fighting for loyalty, only to be tossed aside like a failed card that had no role in that hand, and then finding that the card they tossed was wild, a card that had it's own set of rules. I, in that sense, was that card. With that, I never realized my deep longing I had for life.

The light got even more intense as I approached my destination.

"Freedom, at last," I said as I reached for the edge of the opening.

The light poured around me like a flash flood as I crawled through the crack. Around me, I could see the resonating souls of the spectral plane. They danced around me, inviting me to be among them. The irony of their behavior would be their downfall, if it weren't for the fact that for the first time in my unbound life, I was actually enjoying myself to be among them. It was as if I forgot that they were the prey I hunted down to survive in both the living world and the spirit world. Though this wasn't the life I longed for, it still lifted my undying spirit.

After that sidetrack, I surveyed my surroundings. I found that I was entrapped in a tomb, with the Soul Reaver placed on an engraved platform. I felt that the only way to escape the tomb was to first enter the material realm. But before I could do that, I would need to find the spirit gases needed to leave the spirit realm. Luckily, that was stationed at the other end of the tomb.

"Concentrate..." I said as I stood over the gases, propelling my spectral form down into the abyss, only to reemerge into the world of the living.

"Ahh, fresh air!" I sighed, "Oh, how I missed the sounds and smells of the living."

I laid my hand against the wall and started to look for an opening. I walked for no more than two meters when I felt a gust of cold air coming through a crack near a bolder. I moved the stone aside to reveal an exit.

"Finally," said I, "I can now leave this dreary tomb."

Then I hesitated. I turned around and resighted the Soul Reaver, sitting on its engravement. I could not take it with me for it will try to devour me again, but I could not leave it here either for dark forces might find it. I looked around the tomb I saw red drapes hanging just above it.

"I've got an idea"


	2. New Power Source

**Chapter 2**

"I'm going out!" I exclaimed.

"Where are you headed?" mom asked

"To Castle Acorn to meet with my friends. Roter has something to show us. Why?"

"Nothing..."

"Bye mom," and with that, I dashed out the door.

I sped into the forest down the secret path to Castle Acorn wondering about what was so interesting. Its probably something that the worlds most way past cool hedgehog hasn't seen before, especialy with all the adventures I had kicking Dr. R's butt. Whatever it was, it's probably important

Moments before I arrived, I could see Tails in the distance. I guess he desided to meet me before hand. When I arrived, everyone greeted me with a smile on their face. Roter was especialy happy to see me.

"Great to see ya, buddy!" Roter exclaimed.

"Roter, what's up?" I replied.

"I'll tell you later."

"Let's head inside. It's starting to get dreary out here," Sally pointed to the coloring of the clouds. Odd. It was sunny not three minutes ago.

"Oh, by the way Sonic, Knuckles will be over as well," she said.

"Why, is he part of this?" I said in protest.

"What I'm about to show you involves **all **of the freedom fighters. That includes Knuckles," Roter replied, "Sonic, I know you aren't the best of friends..."

"You can say that again."

"...but your just going to have bare with it for now."

"Come on, Sonic!" Sally exclaimed in a reasuring voice, "Take one for the team!"

At that moment, as the clouds began to darken, I had only one thing to say.

"Hmph!"

We all headed to the main hall of the castle. Eligant drapes hung from increadably high celings, and long, red carpets ran from here to the duel stairs that lead to the next floor. Doors all leading to another part of the castle were peppered through out the hall, all in a symetrical manner.

"We'll head down to the laboratory. That's where I left it." Roter said plainly.

"What's the 'thing' that you wanted to show us. Please tell us!" Amy whined, "The suspense is killing me."

"All in do time. Let's head downstairs."

Roter opened an old looking door to reveil a dark corridor dimmly lighted by torches. We proceded down the hall with the thought of what was this mysterious thing was. At the end of the hall, Roter opens a steel door that was locked up by A.I. security, reveiling a large room filled to the seames with paper, wires, and machines. Roter then ran to a nearby desk. He then gabbed a weird octogonal stone with a strange symbol on it.

"What is it?" I asked, "How will this help us out?"

"I don't know exactly what it is. I found it just last week. What I do know is that it dose produce a lot of power."

"How so?" Knuckles asked as he just walked in.

"Late as usual," Sally directed at Knuckles, "Have trouble finding your way here?"

"Not exactly."

"Ah-hem. Well to answer your question Knuckles," Rotor continued, "the only way I've been able to draw power is by using these cables." He then pulls out two connecter cables. "Attach them to the equiptment you need to charge up like so." He then clamps on end of the cables to a powered out machine. "Then connect the other end to the source and..." As he did this, a blinding flash of light erupted from the odd stone and power started to flow through to the machine.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed.

"Impressive," said Tails.

"Yeah. This could really help us out without doing damage to the environment." Roter replied.

"Bravo, Rotor," Sally exclaimed, "This could improve things around here."

"How will this help us out against the mad doctor?" Tails asked.

"It won't help us out much, but it is a step in the right direction."

"That reminds me," said Knuckles, "I saw one of his crusades coming from the west. I could just see him while on Angel Island."

"Well, then we better jet if we want to beat him to the punch!" I quickly said.

"Let's head out then," said Sally.

"Let's..."


	3. Dead Metal

**Chapter 3**

I straped the shiethed Soul Reaver to my back and headed out. I found myself walking down a long tunnel. It seamed to go on forever, until it suddenly came to an abrupt stop. I found myself looking down on the forest canopy some 200 meters below me.

"I guess the only way out of this, uh, cave, is to drop down into the forest."

I then ran off the cliff and dived down to my freedom. I caught the wind current in my tattererd wings and glided gently down the rest of the way. The leaves brushed against my bony face. My feet landed gently on the soft ground.

"Wow," I said in astonishment, "Nosgoth's so beautiful! I thought I would end up at the era of Kain's Empire."

I looked about, and saw the cave that I not a few moments ago left. Above the canopy of the forest, beyond the sky, lied a large floating island florishing with an abundance life.

"What in hell?!?" I gazed in astonishment at the sight before me, "It's like nothing I've ever seen in all of my travles. But if I've not seen this before than this must be..."

I held my voice into what I've found out. I realized now that I am in Nosgoths far future.

"He did it! Nosgoth is well again!" I paused for a breaf moment, "But how long ago did this happen? And how long will it last?"

This began to trouble me. Nosgoth could still be in peril even though it is in tranquility. I then saw large explosion in the west. This only deepened my resolve.

"I should investigate that."

And with that I set off, on another adventure to restore balance to the world.

"I can never get off easy, can I?"

The flames in the distance became visable after a while of running through the forested area. The heat licked across my bony face as I drew near.

"Damn!" I cursed, "the heat is far to intence to continue. Unless..."

I drew out my wraith blade and changed the enhancement to ice. With a large burst of energy, I extinguished most of the flames.

I continued through the forest and ended up in a burnt clearing with many stumps littered across the area where trees used to stand. Mechanical monstrosities were causing the massive destruction. I faded into the shadows and wisked around the clearing for an easy kill.

I rounded the clearing and crept up on a robotic foot soldier. I grasped its neck area, dragged it into the shadows and tore it apart, piece by piece.

I quickly grabbed another and did the same. I then jumped out from the shadows and landed on another mechanical being and wisked around the clearing jumping, slashing, and tearing all of the reachable metallic creatures, destroying many and critically damaging others.

I landed on the charred ground with scap metal littered all around me.

"Who could have done this?" I asked myself. I looked downward beside my feet and noticed a piece with a strange insignia on it. I picked it up so I could take a closer look. The image depicted on it was a face of a man with dark glasses on and a large, orange, spikey mustache.

I dropped the metal and dissapeared back into the forest, leaving no trace of my presence except for the massive destruction I wrought upon those metallic fiends.


	4. Evil From Within the Metal

**Chapter 4**

Outside the castle we could see smoke in the distance. Another boom of sound reached of ears.

"Somethings definantly going down over there," I said, "and I think I know who is causing it."

"If he's the source, then we should check out before things get worse." Then Knuckles sped away.

"Sonic, you go ahead," Sally called out, "The rest of us will take the X-Wing to the desturbance."

"See you soon!" I shouted to her.

I sped away from the castle hoping to catch Eggman before he could cause too much damage. The trees rushed past me at breakneck speeds when I suddenly hit something hard. I fell back from the impact and lost concsiousness for a second or two. I looked up after regaining my sight. A wall of rippling green energy blocked my only way out. I quickly got up and readied myself for any sort of trouble that might come my way.

"Raziel..." said an ominous voice.

"Little demon..." said another.

"Who are you," I shouted out. I looked around the enclosed area. "Where are you?"

"What do you care creature..." said another voice.

"You do not deserve to serve as our champion..." another cried out.

"What? Champion? What are you talking about!"

"We truly are the forgotten ones, aren't we?"

Then a mechanical creature came through the green aura and presented himself to me.

"Your one of Eggman's, aren't you?" I said.

"Who is the one you call 'Eggman'?" it said, "He sounds like he can be useful."

"This is getting me nowhere. Outta my way!"

"And why should I listen to you, TRATOR!" when he said his last word two others came through the resonating wall.

"Great... confused _and_ outnumbered!"

I got ready to expect the worst from the unknown robots in front of me.

"Wait, Karshlek!" said one, "I do not scence the same spirit as Raziels."

"Cannot we kill him anyway?" said Karshlek, "Drasiket. Do we have time?"

"No. We must find the trator!" said Drasiket, "Karshlek, Salkemit. We must leave now."

Two disappeared through the wall. The remaining one stayed behind. He pointed and stared deep into my eyes.

"This is not over, land dweller. We will return, and we will fight you and destroy you." Then he wisked away too.

I stood there speechless for a moment. The only thing I said after that was, "That... was weird."

The strange energy wall dispersed allowing me to pass. I dashed away from the clearing, ducking and weaving through the twisting vines that hung over the many tree limbs before me.

A minute later, I reached my destination, only to find massive destruction at my wake. Metal shards littered the the ground and dying flames licked the charred wood and lifeless stumps.

"What happened here?" I asked in astonishment.

Not a moment later, the X-Wing arrived at the scene. Everyone jumped out and ran to me.

"Whoa," Knuckles said in awe moments after arriving, "Must have been some party."

"Yeah, except, I wasn't invited..."

"You never did this?" Sally asked, confused.

"No, I guess someone got here before me."

"I'm getting weird energy readings in this area," Roter exclamed, holding up some sort of device, "Something mighty strong beat you to the punch here, Sonic. And I dont think it's very nice. Look at the way these metal pieces have been torn."

"Torn? You mean like paper?"

"Yeah, and look at these foot prints."

Roter then crouched down and circled a odd looking footprint.

"By my stars..." Tails said in astonishment, "What are we dealing with here?"

"Nothing from this world from this world, that's for sure." Knuckles said ominously.

"Well," said Sally, "we should clean this mess up."

"I'll pass," said Knuckles, "I've got a job to do up on Angel Island."

"I'll pass, too," I repeated, "Maybe I can catch 'it' and see what we are dealing with."

I then sped away into the vast darknes of the forest, hoping that I'd find the creature who did this.

"Are you friend..." I thought, "...or foe?"


	5. Meet Rouge

**Chapter 5**

I woke up in the spirit realm, after what seemed to be hours later.

"Damn!" I cursed, "Now I've got to find my way back into the material realm."

I got up, grumbling to myself.

"What a day this has turned out to be..." I said sarcastically.

Slugha crept out of the shadows to confront me. I got into my battle stance.

"Great... Yet another enemy to beat senselessly. You don't know when to quit, do you?"

I rushed past their spectral manifestations and slashed away at them. They cried out and desolved into less substantial creatures. I opened my crowel and sucked in their souls before they could re-materialize and fight me again.

"Short and uninspiring..."

I continued west away from the rest site, looking for the spirit gases that would lead my out of here.

Moments later, I finally found the spirit I needed. I relinquished my soul once again into the abyss and reemerged into the material realm. It was dawn outside.

"I must have slipped into the spectral realm just before day break. I better hurry back to my resting site and retrieve the Soul Reaver."

I ran frantically back only to find the Soul Reaver missing.

"Oh no."

I started to panic. Where could it be? Did someone take it while I slept? I ran these questions through my mind, until I sensed a strong force.

"Wait! Could that energy I'm sensing be the Soul Reaver? It's coming from the west side and it grows fainter."

I decided to follow it, hoping to the heavens that it was the Soul Reaver I sensed.

I ran through the dense forest, frantically looking or the Soul Reaver. I could sense it's power and, thus, used that to lead me to it.

"Where could it have gone? Did some one take it while I slept?" I wondered as I jumped over the vines, dodged incoming trees, and pushed through the thick shrubbery. "I just don't get it! What could have happened to it?"

The trail led me to an old decayed building in the middle of a clearing. It was covered in vines and seemed to have withstood the tests of time for thousands upon thousands of years.

I could no longer sense the Soul Reaver at this point. It had either went inactive or had been locked away through thick stone or steel.

"This is hopeless," I sighed. And then, that's when I heard singing. At first, it was faint and almost unnoticeable, then, it began to grow.

"What in all of Nosgoth?" I rounded the corner of this ancient behemoth. That is when I saw it high above me.

I seemed to be a creature of human female characteristics, but bat-like, and majestically strange. She was holding a large gem that seems to hold significant value.

I decided creep around her and continue my search away from her line of sight. Unfortunately, I stepped on a twig just as I made my escape.

"Damn!" I cursed out loud.

"What was that?!" She said as she dropped her large precious stone. The creature looked about and spotted me attempting to flee into the forest. "Oh, what have we here?"

"Hi there!" She said rather cheerfully, "What's a guy like you doing in a forest like this?"

(Maybe I can take his stuff if I play my cards right. That is, IF he has anything...) she thought.

"I'm looking for an old relic that was probably taken from me," I backed away from the bush and returned to the clearing.

"I might have seen something out here, but your going to have to tell me what you're looking for."

"Well, it's a wavy blade with a skull hilt."

"I think I've seen something like that... Oh wait! We didn't introduce ourselves yet, did we?"

"Uh..."

"My name is Rouge."

"I'm Raziel."

"O-o-o-o-o. Exotic!" she started to float down towards me, "I've never met someone with an original name like that."

"You said you saw it before?"

"Ya. It was in some poorly made cloth packaging next to some hapless moron."

"WHAT?!?!" I started up in anger, "You took it!!! Where is it!?!?"

"You have really nice eyes..." She said as she hovered circles around me.

"I have none, and please, stay on topic. Where is it? It's important that I have it returned to me."

"Oh, come on!" she said in surprise, as if we were never talking about the Soul Reaver in the first place, "It can't be all **that** important. I mean, it's just an old, rusty sword that doesn't seem to have much worth."

(It's worth more than your life,) I thought darkly.

"I like your claws," she continued with the compliments, "Are they real under these bandages?" She started to gently rub my hand with hers. This started to irritate me.

"**ENOUGH!!!**" I yelled out as I grabbed her wrist, "I have no time to play games, especially with you! Tell me where it is, and nothing unpleasant will happen." I tightened my grip on her, and pulled her closer so she could see the seriousness in my cold, blighted eyes, "Then, you can forget I ever existed, if you want."

Her eyes welled up in tears from the embraced fear, as I released her wrist from my cold grasp. I felt sorry for the moment, but I didn't have the time to apologize. She floated slowly away from me and transformed her sadness and fear into pure anger.

"You want it that bad!?" she yelled as she flew further away from me, "Well, you can just find it yourself then!"

"Twit..." I said under my breath.

She suddenly stopped in the air. She hovered there for a moment in complete silence.

"You know," she said calmly, "It doesn't seem fair that you have to find it by yourself, without any clues." she turned to me.

"No games, Rouge," I said.

"Who's playing?" she tossed me a small object my way.

"A key?"

"The only key to get into my treasure room. That's where I stashed your 'relic'. And trust me when I say this, it's really close by. That's the only hint I'm giving you so, good luck."

She flew away in a hurry, laughing at her own private joke, and disappeared from my sight. I looked at the key, then at the ancient structure.

"I think I know where it is..."


	6. Sympathy for the Badnik

**Chapter 6**

I rushed through the forest trying to follow the faint trail. The foot prints seemed to disappear and reappear in random parts of the trail, as if though it was fading away.

I ended up in a small clearing where the trail ended altogether.

"Dead end..." I said disappointedly, "I guess I should head back."

Just then, the soud of rustling came from the bush. The soud seemed closer with each passing second.

"Show yourself!" I yelled.

And sure enough, it did. It looked like one of Eggmans badniks. However, it was badly damaged.

"Have you come to look for trouble?"

It then responded in the oddest way. It fell to its knees and spoke.

"Please... help me," it said weakly just before it fell over.

I looked at the badnik befored me, and sighed.

"That badnik may be an enemy," I said to myself, "but it seemed in desparate need of help. I should bring it back to Sally, and have her have a look at it."

I picked up the limp metallic body and dragged it out to the massive clearing. He was increadably heavy, dispite its size.

Around a half an hour later, I arrived at the clearing. The destruction I left for Sally and the rest to tend to all but dissappeared.

"Hey Sally!" I yelled, "I've got something to show ya."

"What is a badnik doing here?" Sally demanded.

"It seemed in need of help."

"Its a robot! It can't feel pain! Or any other emotion for that matter."

"It did seem desparate. I mean, with my reputation and all it would at least stay in the shadows or came with a group."

"I guess you could be right," She paused for a moment, "but just to be safe, we'll bring it back to the old base. The one Eggman already knows about."

She climbed into the cockpit of the Tornado.

I climbed into the back, carrying along the heavely damaged badnik

"You coming, Roter?" She said.

"Can't. Me and Tails are still testing that energy source."

"I thought it seemed okay during the demonstration"

"It's power is still very unstable. We're just going to run a few more tests before we can conferm if it's safe to use or not"

"Alright, we'll be back in an hour..."

Sally activated the engine, and took flight.

While in mid flight, in a low, almost undetectable voice, it said, "Thank... you..."

'Your welcome,' I thought.

We arrived at the old base, moments after cleaning up the mess of metal and burnt wood. I placed the badnik at the heart of the room.

"What now?" I said.

"Well..." She was rifling through the dusty drawers and cuboards, taking out various tools, "I should start to check this badnik out... to make sure it's not programmed to seek and destroy."

"Like the many other badniks I fought?" I said sarcastically.

She turned and glared at me for a moment, then turned back and continued withwhat she was doing...

"I'm just going to go for a run then, seeing that your busy"

I sped off, back into the forest.

I desided that I can use this time to continue my investigation in the forest. I just hoped that whatever it is, it wasn't violent.


	7. Underground Brawl

**Chapter 7**

I approached the front doors of the ancient structure. I stuck the key in and unlocked the door. A wisp of warm, dry air escaped through the opening. I entered the great structure, and drew out the Soul Reaver. I had a feeling that this structure, even though abandoned thousands of years ago, was not uninhabited.

Cautiously, I crept down the corridors in search of the blade. Down staircases, though doors, across rooms and halls, I looked for it, only being guided by the sense of its power. The power sense led me to a hole that led twenty or thirty down below the ground. I felt the Reavers essence at its strongest right there. I knew that if I went down there, I might never leave...

I jumped down into the darkness below and hoped that the choice I just made wasn't a stupid one.

I landed on my feet with a hard thump. I looked about my surroundings and saw I was in a cave like structure made below the ancient building. Piles of gold, silver, and precious stones were hilled all about the gigantic room. Swords, crowns, chalices, and other items were strewn about the grounds and mounds of treasure.

I crept between the treasure, looking around, hoping I would find it. As I walked about the room, I bumped my leg into a small black object.

All of a sudden, an odd heavy sound pours out of the strange black object. The sound of drums then picked up along with the odd sound. In the corner of my eye, I saw a mound of gold shift a bit. Then, out of nowhere, something screamed...

"GO!" an ominous voice said, and twelve four armed creatures jumped out of the mounds of treasure. They landed with a soft thump and approached me. The odd music kept playing, and the creatures hissed at me.

"Stapled shut - Inside an outside world  
And I'm sealed in tight - Bizarre but right at home  
I'm claustrophobic - Closing in  
And I'm catastrophic - Not again!"

The creatures crept closer and closer, drawing out their blades and hissing menacingly. I got ready for a fight.

"I'm smeared across the page and doused in gasoline  
I wear you like a stain, yet I'm the one who's obscene"

"Catch me up in all your sordid little insurrections  
I've got no time to lose - I'm just caught up in all the cattle"

The creatures stopped a few feet away from me. They surrounded me in every direction. They did not move. It was as if they were waiting for something...

"Fray the strings... Throw the shapes... Hold your breath... Listen!"

At that moment, they all leapt into the air, and came down upon me with swords swinging. I prepared for the worst.

"I am a world before I am a man  
I was a creature before I could stand  
I will remember before I forget  
Before I forget that"

"I am a world before I am a man  
I was a creature before I could stand  
I will remember before I forget  
Before I forget that"

As the haunting lyrics played, The creatures fought me with all their strength. I shot a few of them with telekinetic balls of energy, sending them flying backwards. The ones I did not hit came down at me with their swords. They fought me with the ferociousness of a hundred vampires, but none of them where prepared for the power of the Spirit Reaver.

"I'm ripped across the ditch and settled in the dirt  
And I wear you like a stitch, yet I'm the one who's hurt"

"Pay attention to your twisted little indiscretions  
I've got no right to win - I'm just caught up in all the battles"

"Locked in clutch... Pushed in place... Hold your breath... Listen!"

As the lyrics echoed though out the gigantic treasure horde, I fought valiantly, slaying them from the front, the back, and from either side. More of them, jumped out of the mounds of gold and silver. The battle began to get insane.

"I am a world before I am a man  
I was a creature before I could stand  
I will remember before I forget  
Before I forget that"

"I am a world before I am a man  
I was a creature before I could stand  
I will remember before I forget  
Before I forget that"

The sound of the drums died down, and that odd sound began to pick up speed and variety. The creatures came at me from all directions. I swung my wraith blade and picked them off one by one lessening their numbers. I realised that over the coarse of the battle, well over a hundred creatures emerged from their hiding spots to aid their comrades. No matter, they still didn't have the means to beat me.

"My end, it justifies my means  
All I ever do is delay  
My every attempt to evade  
The end of the road and my end  
It justifies my means  
All I ever do is delay  
My every attempt to evade  
The end of the road!"

Their numbers started to decline, as the heavy song began to come to a close.

"I am a world before I am a man  
I was a creature before I could stand  
I will remember before I forget  
Before I forget that"

"I am a world before I am a man  
I was a creature before I could stand  
I will remember before I forget  
Before I forget that"

"I am a world before I am a man  
I was a creature before I could stand  
I will remember before I forget  
Before I forget that"

I was down to my last few attackers. They were merciless, but I promptly put them down with my wraith blade. I impaled the last one with the Spirit Reaver right at the end of the song.

Things were then quiet. Not another creature leapt out of the treasure, and not another lyric sung ominously. The bodies of my fallen foes leaked sand and dust from the open wounds.

"That was certainly new," I said, "I don't think I've been ambushed like that..." The Spirit Reaver reverted back to the Soul Reaver, then seeped back into my arm.

I walked around a large mound and found what I came for.


	8. Sorrowful Sound

**Chapter 8**

I sped though the thick forest, trying t follow the footprints left behind by our mysterious visitor. I found myself at a clearing where the trail cut off and reappeared again. That threw me off. But, I still followed, regardless of my confusion.

I ended up at an old crumbling building that had vines growing all over it. The footprints ended at the doorway.

"Must be in here..." I said.

I opened the door, but it remained shut. I tried again but it wouldn't budge.

"Oh come on!" I walked away, stopped turned around and jump kicked the door, but it still didn't open.

"Huh..." I began to head back to the forest, "I'm out of ideas..."

"Looking for someone?"

I turned around and saw Rouge hovering in the air, and shining a gem.

"Sort of, yeah..." I replied.

She glided down and approached me.

"Well you're looking in the right place," she said placidly, "but he has the key. Which means nobody can get in."

She paused and stared into the gem for a moment.

"Or out..." she said in a weird, almost sinister tone, "Not without the key, that is."

"Have a spare one on you?"

"Sorry, he took the last one..."

I dashed off disappointed. The chase was fun, but it would have been better if I found him, to know what I was looking for, to know what it was and why it did what it did.

"Nothing to do..." I sighed, "...except for heading back to the old base to check up on Sal-gal."

I dashed down the beaten path and noticed an alternate route.

"Hum… Never saw that before." I decided to go down that road just to kill some time. Just go down a harmless trail I never saw before. Maybe I'll find something interesting…

I was right about it being interesting…

After a few minutes of running I found a very old, very big chapel covered in vines and other sorts of plant life. I looked at my watch and saw I had about a half our left to kill.

"Inside I go…"

I creaked open the door and a haunting tune dully spilled out of it of the chapel. The sound of an organ echoed thought out the hollowed hall. At the very end, I could see a tall man with four arms playing the very depressing tune.

"Hello?"

He didn't hear me, so I ran right up to him and said again, "Hello!?" He turned around with a glint of sorrow in his eyes. He wore a very strange mask, resembling something off "Phantom of the Opera" and was dressed in something out of a Tim Burton flick.

"A guest? Now! Oh how joyful!" The strange guy said, "It's been so long! Here let me play you a song…"

He played the same depressing tune as before.

I stared at him and wondered why he doesn't play something else. Then I asked him , "Uh, dude. Don't you know something more than this? Maybe something just a little bit more… cheerful?"

He stopped playing and turned around and answered. "Alas! I am compelled by some primal force to forever play this song of fear and sadness…"

"That's rough…"

He turned back to his organ, "But If I were to have new music, I can break this cycle of endless misery"

He stopped. Then he turned back around and spoke again. "Maybe you can help?"

"Ah, no actually I have to go, uh, somewhere. Someone is waiting for me."

"Go on! Please? You'll be doing us all a favor."

"Ok fine. I'll help!"

"Splendid!" He turned back around and puts his slender hands on the keys. "The notes are somewhere in the basement. Be careful, though. Things are a tad dangerous down there"

"How do you mean, 'dangerous'?"

"Oh some sharp objects and some heavy things. Nothing really. But that's how I died!"

"Ok. I really didn't need to know that…"

I find a door beside the organ and open it. The ominous darkness is dimly lit with torches just above the spiraling stair case. I head down and reach another set of doors. I open them and see something I wish wasn't there. What I saw was a long passage that had razor sharp pendulums, flaming platforms, spikes walls, and a giant rock that could flatten a hundred swatbots.

"Great. A gauntlet…"


End file.
